Garden My Heart
by anotherOUATwriter
Summary: Prompt by anonymous: AU. In which Robin's parents worked for the Mills Household and Regina meets with Robin years later. (our world, no magic - other than fate) / OQ
I know I keep promising people that I'll write OQ stories (and finish my SQ stories) but I'm really busy with uni. But, in light of recent events, I've decided to publish this one shot that I wrote a loooong time ago and that xmyvampireheartx kindly betaed for me.

* * *

 **R.I.P Robin Hood.**

* * *

Prompt by anonymous: AU. In which Robin's parents worked for the Mills Household and Regina meets with Robin years later. (our world, no magic - other than fate)

* * *

Regina Mills stepped out her house and into her garden, it needed so much work - just like the rest of her new home. She had moved upstate, to a small town in Maine after her husband lost his fight against cancer almost a year ago. They had not been in love when he was diagnosed, but she stayed by his side; after all, the wedding vows had been for better or for worse.

He was in a better place now. Daniel had been a good man in life, and she was sure he was resting in peace. And she was happier, less stressed.

Regina sat on a two-seat swing that was miraculously still standing and opened the book she had been reading for the last few days, she was almost at the end of the story. Her eyes didn't concentrate on the words that were written in the paper, but on the origami she used as bookmarker. It was something she possessed since she was a little girl and no one really understood the meaning it had to her.

She often wondered what had happened to the boy who had made the origami and gave it to her. He must be a man now, since they had the same age. They had grown in the same house, but not together. The reasons were rather obvious, at least for Regina's mother; he was the son of household's staff, and she was the daughter of the mansion's owners. But Regina couldn't really keep away from the boy and his family, they seemed so happy, so full of life - unlike her family. Regina learnt at early age that money didn't buy happiness.

As a girl, Regina would sneak into the kitchen to be with the boy and his mother, they would bake cookies and cakes, or his mother would teach them how to make things like the origami the boy had given to her.

But, one day Cora came early from work and found her daughter and the help's son playing in the garden, enjoying the sunny day. The boy's family was immediately fired, no matter how hard Regina would cry and promised she would be better if they were allowed to stay. Cora was merciless, and not even her daughter's sorrow would make her change her mind.

If only Regina would remember the boy's name, maybe she could track him down. And do what exactly? She would often scold herself at that thought. Tell him she never got over their childhood romance? She remembered his face, though, and his beautiful blue eyes - they had captivated her since the first time she saw him, when she was only an eight year-old girl.

"Mrs. Horseman," a deep voice brought her back to her garden, she stood up and walked towards the back door, where a man was waiting for her, fidgeting something that looked a lot like a hat, "I'm sorry to disturb you, I walked around the house when no one answered the door, but I can come later if you want,"

"Nonsense," Regina said when she was close enough to have a conversation at a normal voice tone, "You must be Mr. Hood, the gardener,"

"I am an architect, a landscaper," he said with a half-smile, letting her know that he was not offended, "But yes, I'm Robin Hood," the man added, extending a hand for her to shake.

Regina moved the book from her right hand to the left, and then she took his hand with her right hand and shook it while she looked into his eyes. Blue eyes.

And suddenly a flashback reminded her of something.

She was ten years old, and she was with the boy, they were in her house's garden and he had told her about his dream of becoming a landscaper. Regina replied that she'd have a house with a huge garden so he would never leave her. Then they shook hands. And he looked at her, just like Robin was looking at her now.

And do what exactly? The question that had appeared in her thoughts minutes ago started bothering her again. What should she do? Should she ask him? She felt her knees weaken and, hadn't it been for Robin, she would have fallen to the ground.

"Mrs. Horseman?" he asked in a worried tone, and looked around, searching for a chair for her to sit on. He helped her walk towards one bench, holding her by her arm. "Are you alright?"

"It's Regina," she corrected him when she was sitting down. "Regina Mills,"

He furrowed his eyebrows for a second and studied her. Not, not really understanding what was going on. Regina breathed in deeply and opened her book. She knew it was a long shot, she knew it was crazy; but those who never try, never win.

"Does this seem familiar to you?" she asked, holding the origami at his face's level.

Robin took the small origami, his eyes open as plates. Of course it seemed familiar to him: it was his mother's favorite origami. His mother had learnt it when she worked for a Japanese family; it was not a common shape.

Then, as if the folded paper had magical abilities, he remembered the day he made this origami.

He was ten years old, his parents were working at a large estate in the southern side of New York state. The owners had a daughter - they were the same age and even if were not allowed to play together, they would do it anyways. One day, the girl admitted she wanted to be kissed before her tenth birthday; so he took her to his favorite spot in the garden, got on one knee and gave her the origami he had made for her, and then he asked if he could kiss her. He had been her first kiss, and she had been his.

"Say something," Regina broke the silence, "Even if it is 'you are crazy'," she added, giving up hope.

"You are crazy," Robin said with a smile "You kept this horrible origami that a poor boy gave you all these years ago? I wonder what your mother would think about it,"

"It has a special meaning for me," Regina argued, not realizing he had said information she had never revealed to him, "And it is not horrible," she added, snatching the origami from him and looking at it as if it was a treasure.

"I bet that kiss is a bad memory for you,"

"No it is not. And how would you know he kissed ..." She trailed off when she saw his smug face and hit him on the shoulder.

"I need that for work," he protested.

"Yes, you will have plenty of that," Regina commented, and when she saw his smirk she added: "in the garden, Mr. Hood,"

"We'll see about that," he replied with a shit eating grin. "These are some initial sketches I drew, taking into account what you wrote on the email," Robin handled her a folder, "Why don't you call me after you look at them,"

"Or maybe you can stay for dinner and we can look at them together," she proposed.

"Sounds like a plan," Robin nodded, then he bowed to her, like he used to do when they were kids and left Regina's house.


End file.
